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The glass master forms the shape by swinging an amorphous ball of glowing matter through the air, transforming it into a swirl of colour ultimately bound for the annealing kiln. Working demonstrations provide visitors with a glimpse of new manufacturing practices as well as ancient techniques used throughout Murano’s long glass-making history.

Visitors are quick to scoop up jewellery and tableware, and the occasional chandelier or mirror. But don’t be fooled – if it doesn’t say Vetro Artistico ®Murano, it’s not legit. Shopkeepers here are quick to point out that theirs are local products, not from China. (Imitation is rampant, particularly in Venice.) They display genuine goods bearing the original trademark, following stringent controls set forth by the Consorzio Promovetro whose intent is to “conserve and safeguard the island’s thousand-year-old artistic glasswork tradition, while promoting its marketing throughout the world.”

Beautiful examples of traditional, miniature, and contemporary glassware come from prestigious companies like Venini who feature the work of numerous Italian and international artists, and from studios and artisan factories of independent designers such as Carlo Moretti and Cesare Toffolo.

Murano is the largest of the islands in the Venetian Lagoon. The town plan is partly based on the unique morphology of Venice itself – it has nine islets joined by a long canal that weaves through. And just a vaporetto ride north is the tiny island of Burano, strung with brightly painted façades. Colour takes on a collective importance here. You’ve got to see it to believe it.

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The festival Über Lebenskunst (08/17-08/21), loosely translated as ‘the art of survival,’ was a project initiated by the German Federal Cultural Foundation in cooperation with Berlin’s Haus der Kulturen der Welt, a leading centre for contemporary art and a space for experimentation.

Visitors were invited to experience “the sustainable ‘art of living’ around the clock” through a series of interventions in, on, and around the building. Projects and performances examined basic human needs and presented forward-thinking ideas for collective living in an era of dwindling resources and threatened ecosystems. Exhibits included: temporary night shelters; Pod #002: Parasite Heating Unit; a multi-part water filtration system by Das Numen; and, Salatfeld/Vorratskammer, an installation of 6,000 hydro-culture lettuce heads emerging from the large reflecting pools in front of the Haus, by the international artist cooperative myvillages.org.

Harpa stands solo against the powerful North Atlantic Ocean and the mountainous backdrop, fully exposed to the changing light and climate. With four concert and music halls housed in an “inner massif”, as described by Henning Larsen Architects, the entire 29,000 m2 complex is wrapped by a steel framework clad in irregularly-shaped glass panels. Ólafur Elíassontook the lead on the design of the city-facing southern façade and developed the complex architectural language for the remaining elevations and roof. Reminiscent of the crystallized basalt formations commonly found in Iceland, Harpa’s multi‐faceted glass exterior is composed of thousands of panels that create kaleidoscopic reflections of the city, sky and surrounding seascape. Coloured modules scattered across the surface dramatically alter its transparency and reflectivity in varying seasonal sunlight while multi-coloured LEDs – the most used in any construction to-date – make Harpa glow long after the sun has set.

Situated apart from the city centre, the angular glass icon creates a new focal point in the skyline and enhances the connection between the harbour and the city. Adjacent to a large outdoor plaza, the building’s vast entry foyer, with its minimal interior of concrete mixed with coal to resemble the black basalt rock of the coastline, is in stark contrast to the transparent façade. Natural light that pervades the entire space creates beautiful colours and patterns on the floor, an ever-changing art piece. Additional amenities include meeting rooms, an auditorium, a boutique, viewing balcony, bar and restaurant overlooking the harbour, and a ground-floor bistro.

Harpa, whose name is both that of the string instrument and the ancient Icelandic name of a month in the old Nordic calendar marking the beginning of summer, is now home to both the Iceland Symphony Orchestra (ISO) and the Icelandic Opera. Reykjavík has waited for decades for a proper music hall; until recently, the ISO was occupying a minor university theatre. With the acoustical design, sound equipment, and technical facility planning provided by Artec Consultants Inc, Harpa joins the ranks of the most prestigious international concert halls in the world, offering performances from classical to contemporary. An emphasis on versatility allows the complex to simultaneously host everything from large events to intimate gatherings without interference from one another or from the active waterfront. Named after elements in Icelandic nature, the halls range from a small chamber with sloped floors, to a multi-purpose hall with foldout bleacher seating, to the striking red main concert hall at the rocky core that accommodates 1,800. Flexible acoustic elements support a diverse array of events and walls are clad with wooden lamellas and felt, or dual-faced panels (one side fabric, one side painted wood) which can be flipped to absorb or magnify sound, and visually enhanced with LEDs in varying hues.

Harpa, whose construction began in 2007, was originally part of a masterplan seeking to expand and revitalize Reykjavík’s East Harbour with a mix of apartments, retail, and restaurants. When the financial crisis hit, the proposal was partially abandoned and Harpa’s construction was halted mid-way. Controversy surrounded the building when the government decided to fully fund the remaining costs of the structure. Besides hosting major business and trade events, the Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre will become a vibrant hub for the country’s rising music scene and will attract an enthusiastic international audience of art, culture, and architecture.